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丕賱夭丨賮 丕賱賲賯丿爻
The Iron Flood is a passionate chronicle of the heroic march in 1918 of many thousand of Red soldiers together with their families across the Caucasian mountains. Barefoot, hungry, exhausted, they rammed their way through to join the main forces of the Red Army. A lawless mob at first, they become a formidable force - the iron flood of the Revolution.
Alexander Serafirmovich (1863-1949) was born on the Don. His father was paymaster in a Cossack regiment. When Alexander Serafimovich was eleven years old his family moved to the Cossack village of Ust-Medveditskaya (now the town of Serafimovich), where the boy began to go to high school. Soon after, his father died and with the death of the only bread-winner in the family life became difficult.
In 1903-1907, his stories and sketches were featured in collections edited by Maxim Gorky.
Serafimovich's best work, The Iron Flood, was written in 1921-23.
- GenresRussian LiteratureRussia
173 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1924
3 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Serafimovich
24听books7听followersAlexander Serafimovich (Russian: 袗谢械泻褋邪薪写褉 小械褉邪褎懈屑芯胁懈褔, born Alexander Serafimovich Popov) (O.S. January 7 (N.S. January 19), 1863, stanitsa Nizhnekurmoyarskaya, today's Tsimlyansky District, Rostov Oblast 鈥� January 19, 1949, Moscow) was a Russian/Soviet writer and a member of the Moscow literary group Sreda.
Serafimovich was born in a Cossack village on the Don River. His father served as a paymaster in a Cossack regiment. Serafimovich attended a grammar school, then studied in the Physico-Mathematical faculty of St. Petersburg University. During his time at the University he became friends with Aleksandr Ulyanov, the brother of Vladimir Lenin. Serafimovich was later exiled to Mezen, a town in northern Russia, for spreading revolutionary propaganda. During his time in exile he became a Marxist.
He began writing stories in 1889. His works of this period showed the hard living and working conditions of the peasants. During the 1905 Russian Revolution he continued to describe the brutal and unfair treatment of the peasants under Tsarist rule, and began to write stories about revolutionary men and women and their activities.
At the start of the 1917 Russian Revolution he joined the Bolsheviks, and became a member of the CPSU. His best known work of this time is the novel The Iron Flood (1924) set during the Russian Civil War and based on a real incident of a Red Army unit escaping encirclement by the enemy Whites. He also wrote a stage adaptation of The Iron Flood, which was produced by Nikolay Okhlopkov at the Realistic Theatre in Moscow and was the subject of several filming ideas by Sergei Eisenstein. After The Iron Flood, he published stories, sketches and plays about the building of the Soviet state and the growth of Soviet culture. He died in Moscow in 1949.
Serafimovich's works were praised by many of his fellow writers. Maxim Gorky especially appreciated his talent, introducing him into the Sreda group in Moscow and publishing his works in the Znanie collections. Leo Tolstoy liked his short novel Sand.
The Nobel Laureate Mikhail Sholokov said of him:
"Serafimovich was a great man, a real artist whose stories are near and dear to us; he was one of that generation of writers from whom we learned in our youth."
Vladimir Korolenko said of Serafimovich's first story On the Ice (1889):
"Splendid language, full of imagery, terse and powerful, the descriptions bright and lucid."
Serafimovich was born in a Cossack village on the Don River. His father served as a paymaster in a Cossack regiment. Serafimovich attended a grammar school, then studied in the Physico-Mathematical faculty of St. Petersburg University. During his time at the University he became friends with Aleksandr Ulyanov, the brother of Vladimir Lenin. Serafimovich was later exiled to Mezen, a town in northern Russia, for spreading revolutionary propaganda. During his time in exile he became a Marxist.
He began writing stories in 1889. His works of this period showed the hard living and working conditions of the peasants. During the 1905 Russian Revolution he continued to describe the brutal and unfair treatment of the peasants under Tsarist rule, and began to write stories about revolutionary men and women and their activities.
At the start of the 1917 Russian Revolution he joined the Bolsheviks, and became a member of the CPSU. His best known work of this time is the novel The Iron Flood (1924) set during the Russian Civil War and based on a real incident of a Red Army unit escaping encirclement by the enemy Whites. He also wrote a stage adaptation of The Iron Flood, which was produced by Nikolay Okhlopkov at the Realistic Theatre in Moscow and was the subject of several filming ideas by Sergei Eisenstein. After The Iron Flood, he published stories, sketches and plays about the building of the Soviet state and the growth of Soviet culture. He died in Moscow in 1949.
Serafimovich's works were praised by many of his fellow writers. Maxim Gorky especially appreciated his talent, introducing him into the Sreda group in Moscow and publishing his works in the Znanie collections. Leo Tolstoy liked his short novel Sand.
The Nobel Laureate Mikhail Sholokov said of him:
"Serafimovich was a great man, a real artist whose stories are near and dear to us; he was one of that generation of writers from whom we learned in our youth."
Vladimir Korolenko said of Serafimovich's first story On the Ice (1889):
"Splendid language, full of imagery, terse and powerful, the descriptions bright and lucid."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 27, 2017
My copy of this is from 1935 and says it was published by the Co-operative Publishing Society of Foreign Workers in the U.S.S.R., so i'm guessing the translation is different to later English editions. anyway it's a quick and intense early soviet novel with lot of vivid imagery and brutal violence.
April 25, 2021
I used to take it as a given that all Socialist Realism was crap. It could be amusing, but the need to toe the party line and to portray heroes of socialism was fundmentally incompatible with good literature. After reading this surprisingly good book, I'm no longer so sure of my negative judgment.
The Iron Flood is a Soviet Anabisis with Kojukh in the role of Xenophon. Like Xenophon's famous often imitated story, it is about an army trapped in a hostile land that must fight its way against all odds back to its homeland, only to find when it finally arrives that more fighting and lack of appreciation for its great deeds are the only reward. Like Xenophon, Kojukh is a doubtful leader, thrust to the fore almost against his will, not always respected, but always situationally aware and smarter than anyone else in the room. And curiously, this story takes place only a few hundred miles away from the location of the Anabisis.
But the best thing about this book is its narrative point of view. The action is presented through a narrow field of view. As you read, you see only a fraction of what is going on around you, and you have to piece together a bigger picture. It's the same perspective that a common soldier or one of the refugees in the midst of the action would have had. Sometimes it is confusing, but it works because there is always enough information that the bigger picture gradually becomes clear. And there are very few individuated characters here. Most of them have no names. They effectively merge together into a collective, so that people themselves become the main character. Others have tried this. I remember something similar in Pushkin's Boris Godunov, but it isn't easy to do, and I felt that Serafimavich pulled it off quite effectively, even as he carefully delivers standard party approved politics by castigating both left and right deviationists as he walks the tightrope of proper Stalinism. I don't know if this could ever have given birth to a mainstream genre of books of Socialist Realism. I don't think that Furmanov or Gladkov or Ostrovsky could have written in this style. It is a style that feels experimental and exciting, almost worthy of the kinds of things that the Futurists and Absurdists were doing in Russia at around the same time before Stalin shut them down and packed them off to Siberia or drove them to suicide.
The Iron Flood is a Soviet Anabisis with Kojukh in the role of Xenophon. Like Xenophon's famous often imitated story, it is about an army trapped in a hostile land that must fight its way against all odds back to its homeland, only to find when it finally arrives that more fighting and lack of appreciation for its great deeds are the only reward. Like Xenophon, Kojukh is a doubtful leader, thrust to the fore almost against his will, not always respected, but always situationally aware and smarter than anyone else in the room. And curiously, this story takes place only a few hundred miles away from the location of the Anabisis.
But the best thing about this book is its narrative point of view. The action is presented through a narrow field of view. As you read, you see only a fraction of what is going on around you, and you have to piece together a bigger picture. It's the same perspective that a common soldier or one of the refugees in the midst of the action would have had. Sometimes it is confusing, but it works because there is always enough information that the bigger picture gradually becomes clear. And there are very few individuated characters here. Most of them have no names. They effectively merge together into a collective, so that people themselves become the main character. Others have tried this. I remember something similar in Pushkin's Boris Godunov, but it isn't easy to do, and I felt that Serafimavich pulled it off quite effectively, even as he carefully delivers standard party approved politics by castigating both left and right deviationists as he walks the tightrope of proper Stalinism. I don't know if this could ever have given birth to a mainstream genre of books of Socialist Realism. I don't think that Furmanov or Gladkov or Ostrovsky could have written in this style. It is a style that feels experimental and exciting, almost worthy of the kinds of things that the Futurists and Absurdists were doing in Russia at around the same time before Stalin shut them down and packed them off to Siberia or drove them to suicide.
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October 8, 2021丕賱爻賷賱 丕賱丨丿賷丿賷 / 兀賱賰爻賳丿乇 爻賷乇丕賮賷賲賵賮賷鬲卮 / 鬲乇噩賲丞 鬲乇噩賲丞 爻毓丿賷 丕賱賲丕賱丨 / 1985 .
" 賷賳亘睾賷 兀賳 賳胤丕賱亘 丕賱兀丿賷亘 賯亘賱 賰賱 卮賷亍貙 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 氐丕丿賯丕賸 賱丕 賷賴丕亘 丕賱丨賷丕丞貙 亘賱 賵丕賳 賷爻鬲賲丿 賲賳賴丕 賰賱 賲丕 鬲丨鬲賵賷賴 賲賳 兀丨丿丕孬 "
賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 噩爻丿 兀賱賰爻賳丿乇 賯氐丞 丕賱氐乇丕毓 賵丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 丨丿孬鬲 賮賷 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿 丕賱爻賵賮賷鬲賷 賵賰賷賮 噩爻丿 丕賱兀丿賵丕乇 丕賱亘胤賵賱賷丞 賵丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱卮丕賯丞 賱賱毓賲丕賱 賵丕賱賮賱丕丨賷賳貙 賵鬲賰丕丿 鬲禺賱賶 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賲賳 丕賱丕亘胤丕賱 毓丿丕 丕賱囟丕亘胤 賰賵噩賵禺 丕賱匕賷 賰丕賳 賲賳 胤亘賯丞 丕賱賲毓丿賵賲賷賳 賵丕賱賮賱丕丨賷賳 賵賰賷賮 丕乇鬲賯賶 亘卮噩丕毓鬲賴 爻賱賲 丕賱賲噩丿 賵兀氐亘丨 囟丕亘胤丕賸 賮賷 丕賱噩賷卮 賱賰賳賴 賮賷 匕賱賰 丕賱賵賯鬲 賷毓丕賳賷 賲賳 丕囟胤賴丕丿 賵毓夭賱丞 賰亘賷乇丞貙 賮亘賷賳 毓丿賲 鬲賯亘賱 亘丕賯賷 丕賱囟亘丕胤 賱賵噩賵丿賴 賵毓丿賵賴 丿禺賷賱丕賸 毓賱賶 賴匕丕 丕賱賲賳氐亘 賰賵賳賴 賲噩乇丿 丨賯賷乇 賲賳 胤亘賯丞 兀丿賳賶 賲賳賴賲 賵亘賷賳 賮賯丿賴 賮賷 亘丕丿卅 丕賱兀賲乇 賱丿毓賲 亘丕賯賷 夭賲賱丕亍賴 丕賱噩賳賵丿 賲賳 丕賱賮賱丕丨賷賳 丕賱匕賷 丨丕乇亘 廿賱賶 噩丕賳亘賴賲 .
毓賱賷 睾囟亘丕賳 賲購卮賰賱 .
" 賷賳亘睾賷 兀賳 賳胤丕賱亘 丕賱兀丿賷亘 賯亘賱 賰賱 卮賷亍貙 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 氐丕丿賯丕賸 賱丕 賷賴丕亘 丕賱丨賷丕丞貙 亘賱 賵丕賳 賷爻鬲賲丿 賲賳賴丕 賰賱 賲丕 鬲丨鬲賵賷賴 賲賳 兀丨丿丕孬 "
賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 噩爻丿 兀賱賰爻賳丿乇 賯氐丞 丕賱氐乇丕毓 賵丕賱丨乇亘 丕賱兀賴賱賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 丨丿孬鬲 賮賷 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿 丕賱爻賵賮賷鬲賷 賵賰賷賮 噩爻丿 丕賱兀丿賵丕乇 丕賱亘胤賵賱賷丞 賵丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱卮丕賯丞 賱賱毓賲丕賱 賵丕賱賮賱丕丨賷賳貙 賵鬲賰丕丿 鬲禺賱賶 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賲賳 丕賱丕亘胤丕賱 毓丿丕 丕賱囟丕亘胤 賰賵噩賵禺 丕賱匕賷 賰丕賳 賲賳 胤亘賯丞 丕賱賲毓丿賵賲賷賳 賵丕賱賮賱丕丨賷賳 賵賰賷賮 丕乇鬲賯賶 亘卮噩丕毓鬲賴 爻賱賲 丕賱賲噩丿 賵兀氐亘丨 囟丕亘胤丕賸 賮賷 丕賱噩賷卮 賱賰賳賴 賮賷 匕賱賰 丕賱賵賯鬲 賷毓丕賳賷 賲賳 丕囟胤賴丕丿 賵毓夭賱丞 賰亘賷乇丞貙 賮亘賷賳 毓丿賲 鬲賯亘賱 亘丕賯賷 丕賱囟亘丕胤 賱賵噩賵丿賴 賵毓丿賵賴 丿禺賷賱丕賸 毓賱賶 賴匕丕 丕賱賲賳氐亘 賰賵賳賴 賲噩乇丿 丨賯賷乇 賲賳 胤亘賯丞 兀丿賳賶 賲賳賴賲 賵亘賷賳 賮賯丿賴 賮賷 亘丕丿卅 丕賱兀賲乇 賱丿毓賲 亘丕賯賷 夭賲賱丕亍賴 丕賱噩賳賵丿 賲賳 丕賱賮賱丕丨賷賳 丕賱匕賷 丨丕乇亘 廿賱賶 噩丕賳亘賴賲 .
毓賱賷 睾囟亘丕賳 賲購卮賰賱 .
March 23, 2019
Communism is dead. Yet the ideals and aspirations of those fought for it are not.
March 15, 2023
The first book i've read! :-)
October 12, 2015
芦袞械谢械蟹薪褘泄 锌芯褌芯泻禄 褋胁芯械芯斜褉邪蟹械薪. 袙 褝褌芯屑 锌褉芯懈蟹胁械写械薪懈懈 芯褔械薪褜 褌褉褍写薪芯 褍蟹薪邪褌褜 褉褍泻褍 小械褉邪褎懈屑芯胁懈褔邪. 效械褉械褋褔褍褉 邪胁褌芯褉 懈谐褉邪械褌 褋谢芯胁邪屑懈, 褍褋懈谢懈胁邪褟 薪邪卸懈屑 褋 锌芯褋谢械写褍褞褖械泄 褋褌褉芯泻芯泄. 袚械褉芯懈 锌芯胁械褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈褟 褋泻芯褉械械 芯斜械蟹谢懈褔械薪褘, 懈褏 谐芯谢芯褋邪 褉邪蟹写邪褞褌褋褟 芯褌泻褍写邪-褌芯 褋芯 褋褌芯褉芯薪褘. 小邪屑邪 褉械褔褜 薪邪锌芯谢薪械薪邪 蟹邪懈屑褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈褟屑懈 懈蟹 谐芯胁芯褉邪 泻褍斜邪薪褋泻懈褏 泻邪蟹邪泻芯胁, 褔褌芯 泻褉邪泄薪械 蟹邪褌褉褍写薪褟械褌 褔褌械薪懈械. 小械褉邪褎懈屑芯胁懈褔 锌芯褋褌芯褟薪薪芯 锌芯胁褌芯褉褟械褌褋褟, 芯褌斜褉邪褋褘胁邪褟 写械泄褋褌胁懈械 泻 芯锌褉械写械谢褢薪薪芯屑褍 屑芯屑械薪褌褍, 褉邪褋褋屑邪褌褉懈胁邪褟 褋懈褌褍邪褑懈褞 锌芯写 写褉褍谐懈屑 褍谐谢芯屑. 校 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟 写芯谢卸薪芯 褋褎芯褉屑懈褉芯胁邪褌褜褋褟 锌芯薪懈屑邪薪懈械 褌褉褍写薪芯褋褌械泄 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褟, 褉械褕懈胁褕械谐芯 写芯薪械褋褌懈 写芯 薪械谐芯 懈褋褌芯褉懈褞 谢褞写械泄, 谐芯薪懈屑褘褏 褋 褉芯写薪芯泄 蟹械屑谢懈 胁芯 胁褉械屑褟 薪械褋褌邪斜懈谢褜薪芯泄 芯斜褋褌邪薪芯胁泻懈 胁 褋褌褉邪薪械, 锌芯泻褍写邪 泻邪卸写褘泄 薪邪褋械谢褢薪薪褘泄 锌褍薪泻褌 薪邪 锌褍褌懈 褋褌褉械屑懈褌褋褟 胁械褕邪褌褜 胁褋械褏 锌褉懈褕谢褘褏, 薪械 褋褔懈褌邪褟褋褜 褋 锌芯谢懈褌懈褔械褋泻懈屑懈 胁芯蟹蟹褉械薪懈褟屑懈, 芯褋芯斜械薪薪芯 谢褞褌芯 锌懈褌邪褟 薪械薪邪胁懈褋褌褜 泻 斜芯谢褜褕械胁懈泻邪屑. 袥褞写懈 锌芯褋褌芯褟薪薪芯 薪邪褏芯写懈谢懈褋褜 胁 写胁懈卸械薪懈懈, 胁懈写褟 褌芯谢褜泻芯 胁 褝褌芯屑 薪邪写械卸写褍 薪邪 褋锌邪褋械薪懈械, 薪械 胁械褉褟 胁 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌褜 泻芯谐写邪-薪懈斜褍写褜 谐写械-褌芯 褋薪芯胁邪 芯褋械褋褌褜.
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